Taiwanese American model Sheeren Wu has alleged that a fashion designer uploaded an AI-altered image of her to make her appear white. What Happened? Wu took to TikTok to explain the incident as Michael Costello, a designer who has worked with Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez, and Celine Dion, posted a photo of her to his Instagram. The image was from a recent LA fashion show, where she states she walked for Costello. However, Wu explained that although it was the black ballgown she walked the runway in, her face had been
Issac Hayes III’s social media platform Fanbase has announced its current equity crowdfunding round has crossed $4.50M. Fanbase Platform Fanbase, launched by Hayes, is a social media platform designed to enable Black creators to cultivate their audiences and monetize their contributions effectively. According to a 2021 study by The Influencer League involving US-based creators, the pay gap between white influencers and influencers of color is 29%. When narrowed further between white and Black influencers, the margin rises to 35%. Fanbase differentiates from other platforms that need brand partnerships or ad
Aphonzo Terrell, who was laid off from Twitter last year, confirmed that his app Spill, which gained popularity within the Black community, has recently raised a $2M extension round and had celebrity investments. The Spill App Terrell and DeVaris Brown – CEO and CTO of Spill – are both former Twitter – now known as X – employees. The two met on their first day working at Twitter after noticing they were the only Black guys on their team. However, when Elon Musk bought Twitter, Terrell was laid off from
African mobile video network StarNews Mobile has secured $3 million in pre-Series A funding to empower African content creators to connect with their fanbase and make money. Notable Black French soccer players participated in the funding round, including Aurelien Tchouameni from Real Madrid CF, Jules Kounde from FC Barcelona, and Mike Maignan from AC Milan. Helping African creators monetize their content StarNews Mobile is a leading African media platform empowering content creators by providing opportunities to connect with their fanbase and monetize their content. It was founded in 2017 by
Global Tech Advocates (GTA) Black Women in Tech has partnered with UN Women to release the world’s first interactive historical map illustrating Black women’s untold stories and impact worldwide. GTA Black Women GTA Black Women in Tech is a not-for-profit global organization based in London, UK. They are dedicated to building bridges of opportunities in tech by enabling Black women to excel and companies to have access to Black women of talent. They recently released The Voices in the Shadow, Volume 3 – a book showcasing the journeys of more
YouTube has launched its Inclusive Media Initative, allowing creators to self-identify in ways that capture their multiple identities and allow advertisers to target their advertising better. The initiative is in partnership with Pixability, the leader in brand suitability and contextual targeting solutions for advertisers on YouTube. The Inclusive Media Initative For the first time, YouTubers can self-select how they identify regarding their race, sexuality, and other factors. Previously, creators on the platform had to rely on party ad vendors to choose the identity labels presented to advertisers, which often limits
Elon Musk’s X – formerly Twitter – has been accused of illegally firing an employee after she challenged its return-to-office policy. The complaint, the first filed by the US National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) against X, accuses the company of violating US labor law. Fired Over A Tweet? In November 2022, Elon Musk reportedly ordered workers back to the office, saying, “If you can physically make it to an office and you don’t show up, resignation accepted.” In response, Yao Yue, then a principal software engineer at X, tweeted, “Don’t
Spotify has launched a pilot of Voice Translation for podcasts, using OpenAI technology to translate podcasts into other languages in the original podcaster’s voice. While making English-language podcasts more accessible to global audiences, there are concerns about the growing use of AI translation and voice generation technologies. Voice Translation Spotify announced they are piloting a new feature that translates English-spoken episodes into other languages, such as Spanish, French, and German. The feature is powered by OpenAI’s voice generation technology to clone the original podcaster’s voice. Spotify stated it would match
Following complaints, YouTube has restricted a popular channel that posted videos calling for the ‘elimination’ of Black men by terminating pregnancies. YouTube stopped monetizing YouTube influencer Cynthia G’s channel and removed one video calling for Black male abortions for violating the platform’s hate speech policy. However, other videos with similar content remain, renewing scrutiny over the platform’s content moderation policies. Who Is Cynthia G? YouTube influencer Cynthia G joined the platform in July 2016, describing her channel as a place to start the conversation on reforming Black women. “This is
Corner is a new social media app that turns your memories into recommendations you can share with friends with a personalized social map. The brainchild of Eliza Wu and Jake Xia, Corner aims to move away from the negativity and complaints of traditional review platforms and focus on sharing memorable experiences. Meet the co-founders Wu has an impressive background with a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Southern California and worked as an Investment Intern during her time there. She became an investment associate at JPMorgan for two years before
